Rick Reilly article on Louis Nix

Louis Nix  is the lone DuvALUMNI playing in the BCS National Championship game January 7. ESPN's Rick Reilly has a nice article on the Raines grad. read it here

Tebow to Jacksonville?

Put Tim Tebow's name in a headline and it is guaranteed to get looked at, but this isn't just pandering for web hits. ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that Tim Tebow to the Jaguars in 2013 is "a virtual certainty."

Mortensen goes on to say "League sources say it is a virtual certainty Tim Tebow will land a job back home with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013. Tebow reportedly will be traded or released after the season, but league sources say the Jets are likely to honor Tebow's forthcoming request to be released and therefore become an unrestricted free agent.

Circumstances in Jacksonville have changed since Tebow chose the Jets over the Jaguars when he was traded by the Denver Broncos in March.

Jacksonville owner Shad Khan wanted Tebow, but there was no assurance that the former Heisman Trophy winner would get an opportunity to play because the team was still committed to 2011 first-round pick Blaine Gabbert.

In 2013, the Jaguars will have an open quarterback competition and a team source conceded it's a "high likelihood" Tebow will be part of the mix.


An open quarterback competition is fair to Gabbert and to Tebow. Should Gabbert win the job, though,  the worst thing that could happen to the Jags would be to have Tebow as a backup. Every errant throw from Gabbert or every 3-and-out the Jags offense delivers, the roars of "Teeeee-bowwww" throughout Everbank Field would resound more and more, possibly dividing a locker room. Give Tim a chance in camp, if he wins the gig, great. If he doesn't he should not hang around to cast a popularity contest-sized shadow on Gabbert.

Ryan Freel dead

DuvALUMNI Ryan Freel (Englewood) was found dead from an apparent suicide. Freel played the majority of his major league career with the Cincinnati Reds. USA Today story on Freel here

The All DuvALUMNI College Football Team 2012

Some DuvALUMNI have earned awards and All American accolades this year, but nothing compares to being cited by some random blog that covers their hometown...maybe if I gave it a catchy name...{still thinking}...suggestions? holler..

Anyway, not necessarily one player per position, just some serious shout-outs to some local players who made their high schools and their hometown proud.

OFFENSE

QB - Ryan Aplin  (Fleming Island) - Arkansas State.
QB - Kawaun Jakes (St. Augustine) - Western Kentucky
QB - Jake Medlock (Fletcher) - FIU

RB - Jawan Jamison (Bolles) - Rutgers
RB - Andrew Buie (Trinity) - West Virginia

RB - Montel Haris (Trinity) - Temple
WR - Ryan Lankford (Paxon) - Illinois
OL - Frank Souza (Nease) - Wake Forest
OL - John Theus (Bolles) - Georgia
OL - James Wilson (Nease) - Florida
OL - Caleb Johnson (White) - Rutgers
OL - Ryan Seymour (Camden) - Vanderbilt

K - Cairo Santos (St Joe) - Tulane
K - Caleb Sturgis (St Augustine) - Florida

DEFENSE

DL - Tim Jernigan (Columbia) - Florida State
DL - Louis Nix (Raines) - Notre Dame
LB - Sam Barrington (Parker) - USF
LB - Isaiah Bruce (Providence) - West Virginia
LB - Shaq Wilson (First Coast) - South Carolina
LB - Terrance Plummer (Orange Park) - Central Florida

DB - Xavier Brewer (Bartram Trail) - Clemson

DB - Jake Giusti (Fletcher) - Delaware
DB - Jose Cheeseborough (Lee) - FIU
DB - Avis Commack (First Coast) - Akron

2012 Offense Player of the Year - Jawan Jamison
2012 Defensive Player of the Year - Louis Nix
2012 Special Team Player of the Year - Cairo Santos

Creekside Alum Patrick Leonard traded to Rays Organization

 Tampa Bay Rays acquired 3B Patrick Leonard (Creekside)  from the Royals in the James Shields trade.
A fourth-round pick in 2011, Leonard spent last season with the Royals' rookie league affiliate and hit 14 home runs and an .833 OPS.  Leonard played for Creekside High  through his junior year until his dad's job transfer took them to Texas. The Bleacher Report rocked a nice article on Leonard here

St Joseph's Santos wins Groza Award, 1st Team AP All American

Santos

Tulane's Cairo Santos won the Lou Groza Collegiate Place Kicker Award and was named to the first team All America team by the Associated Press

Santos, a graduate of St. Augustine's St Joseph's Academy , beat out fellow finalists Dustin Hopkins from Florida State and  St. Augustine High's Caleb Sturgis from Florida.

The junior, originally from Brazil is the second kicker from Tulane to win the honor, joining Seth Marler in 2001.

Santos converted all 21 of his field-goal attempts this year, including 12 kicks of 40 yards or longer.

Sturgis, Nix make CBSSports.com All America Team

CBSSports.com's College Football All America Team sports two DuvALUMNI; congrats to Florida Kicker Caleb Sturgis (St. Augustine) and Notre Dame Defensive Tackle Louis Nix (Raines), making the second and third team, respectively. The complete list is here . Not only is Nix an All  American, but he is the only DuvALUMNI playing in the national championship game. Alabama's Chris Black (First Coast) apparently has been red-shirted. There was talk of Black playing against Georgia, but he did not enter the game and it looks like a red-shirt year for the Crimson Tide Wide Receiver.